Rogers, Bare, Clement added to Country Hall Of Fame

Kenny Rogers, Bobby Bare and the late "Cowboy" Jack Clement are now officially members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The veteran artists were celebrated with the Hall's annual Medallion Ceremony, which took place in Nashville Sunday night. Kris Kristofferson and Marty Stuart were among those who remembered "Cowboy" Jack, who just passed away in August.

Kristofferson also took part in the salute to Bare, while Tom T. Hall handled the induction. In his acceptance Bare credited his career to the late Chet Atkins, who gave Bobby his first record deal.

Darius Rucker, Alison Krauss, and Don Schlitz - who wrote "The Gambler" - all performed for Rogers. Kenny told the crowd his mother, who was a Hank Williams fan, introduced him to country music. He said he began performing as a four-year-old, entertaining residents at a nursing home, but it was a Ray Charles concert that inspired him to pursue a career in music.

A host of other Hall of Famers, including Garth Brooks, Barbara Mandrell, Brenda Lee, and Mel Tillis, were also on hand for the ceremony. They all took part in a finale performance of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" to close the 2013 event.